Wrigley rooftops offer to let Cubs sell ads on their buildings

The relationship between the Chicago Cubs and the rooftop businesses overlooking Wrigley Field sounds about as bitter as the Cubs-Cardinals rivalry.

George Loukas, who owns three rooftop clubs and other businesses in the North Side Wrigleyville neighborhood, threatened to sue the the team if it erects billboards in the outfield that block rooftop views into the stadium.

"We have a right to defend our position," Loukas said Friday. "Yes, we would go to court."

He made his comments a news conference he and other rooftop owners held to present to the public an alternative to outfield signs the Cubs say they want to help pay for a $300 million renovation of the 99-year-old ballpark. They offered to let the Cubs place signs on their buildings and forego all the revenues the signs would generate.

But the Cubs did not warmly receive the proposal.

"If the rooftop owners have a new plan, they would be well advised to discuss it with the team instead of holding press conferences, because a deadline is fast approaching for the team and the city of Chicago to move forward," said Dennis Culloton, a spokesman for the owners of the Cubs.

The team's response upset the rooftop owners, who say they presented a general outline of their plan three months ago in a private meeting with Cubs' officials as well as at a meeting the local alderman held Wednesday night that team representatives attended.

The owners of the 16 rooftop clubs, who share a portion of their tickets sales with the team, contend the new signs will put them out of business.

The dispute threatens to hold up a deal that the team is negotiating with Mayor Rahm Emanuel's administration to modernize the "Friendly Confines" without tax dollars. The Cubs seek to amend city ordinances that regulate team operations, from the number of night games to the number of ads in the ballpark. Without the zoning and landmark restrictions, the team's owners say they will pay for a long-overdue face-lift of their stadium.

Despite a record of futility on the field, the Cubs remain a huge draw primarily because of the intimacy, charm and distinctive urban setting of Wrigley Field. But the Ricketts family, who bought the team in 2009, say the oldest stadium in the National League is in desperate need of makeover to improve player and fan amenities.

The family's renovation project includes a structural overhaul that would expand concourses, increase restroom capacity and create a new player clubhouse. The family wants to grow revenues from the stadium by adding restaurants, lounges, club seats, concession areas and expanding luxury suites. The owners showed renderings of the changes at the Cubs Convention last weekend.

The owners also want to install more and bigger signs but haven't provided details about where they would be placed. The most obvious, and lucrative, position would be along the back of the bleachers, which could potentially block the bird's-eye views from the rooftops. Without those views, the rooftop business don't have much to sell, Loukas said.

"I don't think you would spend $5 to go sit up on a rooftop to look at the back of a billboard," Loukas said.

The rooftop owners have a lot to lose. In 2004, the rooftop owners and the Cubs settled a lawsuit by striking a 20-year deal that allowed the clubs to keep operating while paying the team 17 percent of their sales.

The rooftop owners used the security of the agreement to spend millions of dollars renovating their buildings and increasing capacity. Beth Murphy, owner of the Murphy's Bleachers bar and rooftop, said the royalty collectively amounts to $3.5 million to $4 million a year for the Cubs. Overall seasonal revenue for the rooftops appears to be about $23 million.

"There's a reason that the Cubs pull (in crowds)," Murphy said. "I believe it's the synergy between the neighborhood and the ballpark."

The rooftop owners, who have united to form a loosely knit association, say new signs in the outfield would not only violate their contract with the team but also the landmark status that was placed on Wrigley Field in 2004.

They proposed to let the Cubs sell advertising on their buildings that would been seen on several digital screens. The rooftop owners hired a marketing consultant who calculated that rooftop signs would generate $10 million to $20 million in annual revenue.

But Culloton said the team would bring in more money from advertising atop the back wall of the bleachers. Chicago Tribune parent Tribune Co. owns 5 percent of the Cubs.

Ald. Tom Tunney, 44th ward, said "The advertising proposal from the rooftops can be part of the larger picture for preserving Wrigley," he said.

The mayor's office reiterated what Emanuel said earlier in the week that he would like all parties to work together to craft a solution.

But that may be difficult given the feelings of resentment some rooftop owners have for the Cubs. When asked if he feels the team is trying to diminish the value of the rooftop properties so they could eventually acquire them, Loukas said, "Absolutely, absolutely."